Strike



STRIKE sol R. Gerth, sterling Industries, Inc., 2024.12. 70th sf.,Cleveland 3, Ohio Filed Feb. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 794,384

2 Claims. (Cl. 292-341.15)

This invention relates to an improved strike for use in door latchingarrangements of the type where the yielding element is fixed to the doorframe rather than swinging with the door. In this type of latchingarrangement the door carries a bolt which may be pivoted around an axisparallel to the plane of the door by manipulation of a door knob orhandle. The bolt has a camming face and a latching face and when thedoor handle or knob is normally positioned and the door is ciosed thelatching face of the bolt engages the yielding element of the strike anddisplaces it as the door approaches its fully closed position. As thedoor reaches its fully closed position, the camming face of the boltclears the yielding element of the strike and the yielding elementsprings back into latching engagement with the latching face of thebolt. The door is thus latched closed until such time as the handle orknob is turned to pivot the latching face of the bolt out of 'latchingengagement with the yielding element of the door.

lt is to be understood that the bolt structure associated with the doorforms no part of the present invention but is mentioned here merely todescribe the typical environment of the invention. The invention may beused with types of door latches other than that mentioned above, but inall cases the overall latching arrangement is such that the yieldingelement is fixed to the door frame or equivalent stationary structurerather than swinging with the door.

A number of strikes of the general type to which the invention relateshave been provided in the past. An object of this invention is toimprove on these strikes of the prior art by a design which morefavorably combines the factors of cost, size for a given capacity,reliability, simplicity, appearance and performance.

One more particular object of this invention is to provide a strikewhich is less bulky than those of the prior art by arranging theelements of the strike in such a way that the spring element of thestrike is not retained within the strike housing by back walls,backplates, abutments, bridges or the like at the back of the housingchamber, but rather extends to and is tensed against the door frame orother fixed member on which the strike housing is mounted. The back ofthe housing chamber is fully open and the thickness of the entirestriker structure is reduced by the considerable extra thickness thatused to be required to provide a back wall or the like. At the sametime, the parts are arranged so that the strike assembly will beretained in assembled condition during storage, shipping and handlingprior to installation on a door frame or the like.

lf desired, the invention can be exploited advantageously by increasingthe range of movement of the yielding member While adhering to thedimensions of strikes now in use, rather than by decreasing thedimensions of the strike, or an intermediate combination of these twoadvantageous factors may be employed.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear fromthe following description of one States Patent O vce 2 embodiment of theinvention, which is given by `way of example.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan View of a housing employed in one embodiment of theinvention.

Figure 2 is a view of the reverse side of the structure seen in Figurel.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken from the plane of lline 3-3 in Figure1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the housing with thestriker bar and spring installed.

Figure 5 is a cross section on an enlarged scale taken from the plane ofline 5 5 in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the strike bar.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the spring.

Figure 8 is a plan view of th'e spring.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the spring.

The illustrated strike comprises a unitary casing 10 having a bottomside 11 and va recess 12 which extends inwardly from the bottom side.The casing 10 has a top wall 13 in which an opening 14 is formedcommunieating with the recess 12. The top wall 13 forms together withthe recess 12 a pair of chambered aligned bosses 15 and 16 between whichthe opening 14 is disposed.

Toward the bottom side of the casing 10 there may be provided a ange 20having slots or holes 21 provided therein for the reception of mountingscrews or other fasteners.

Midway along the length of the recess 12 and on opposite sides thereofare formed the notches 25. Each of the notches 25 extends from the edgeof the opening 14 downwardly toward the bottom side 11 and becomesprogressively shallower toward the bottom side until preferably thenotches disappear entirely at or adjacent the bottom side although ifdesired the notches may be caused to extend all the way to the bottomside in some circumstances.

Floatingly disposed in the recess 12 is a strike bar 30 which extendsfrom one to the other of the bosses 15 and 16. The length of the strikebar 30 conforms to the length of the recess 12 and the diameter of thestrike bar 30 conforms to the width of the recess 12.

A flat spring 34 is also provided which has a bow 35 and two free ends36 which are preferably provided with shallow concavities at their edgesas indicated in the drawings. At the sides of the bow 35 midway alongthe length of the spring are formed a pair of ears 37 extendingintegrally from the sides of the bow. These ears engage the sides of therecess 12 and are in register with the notches 25. The notches 25 holdthe spring in its centered position along the length of the recess 12.The engagement of the ears 37 with the sides of the recess 12 holds theparts in assembled condition prior to installation of the strike on adoor frame or the like.

As should be clear from the draw-ings, when the strike bar is installedon a door frame or the like the bottom side 11 will be positionedagainst the face or surface of the door frame. When the yielding memberconsisting of the strike bar 30 is depressed as by the door latchingbolt the spring is tensed between the strike bar and the surface of thedoor frame against which the bottom side 11 is positioned.

Since no backing plate or abutment or bridge or similar retaining memberis employed, the full distance from the strike bar 30 to the door frameis available for the spring to flex in. Accordingly, the height of thestructure may be correspondingly reduced or increased strike barmovement for a given height may be accomplished.

The above description of the invention should make it apparent that somedetails of the structure embodying the invention may be varied withoutdeparting from the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the scope ofthe invention is not to be limited to precise details of thespecifically described embodiment but is to be defined by the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A strike comprising a unitary casing having a bottom side and arecess extending inwardly from the bottom side and a top wall having anopening therein in communication with said recess and forming twochambered aligned bosses with said recess, said opening being disposedbetween said bosses, notches in opposite sides of said recess midwayalong the length thereof, said notches each extending from the edge ofsaid opening downwardly toward said bottom side and becomingprogressively shallower toward said bottom side, a strike bar oatinglydisposed in said recess and extending from one boss to the other andexposed at said opening, the length of said strike bar conforming to thelength of said recess, the diameter of said strike bar conforming to thewidth of said recess, a at spring having a bow and two free ends with apair of ears extending from the sides of said bow, said free endsengaging said strike bar and said bow extending toward said bottom sidewith said ears engaging the sides of said recess in register with saidnotches, said spring being tensed between said strike bar and thesurface against which said bottom side is positioned when said strikebar is depressed as by a door latching bolt.

2. A strike comprising a unitary casing having a bottom side and arecess extending inwardly from the bottom side and a top wall having anopening therein in communication with said recess and forming twochambered aligned bosses with said recess, said opening being disposedbetween said bosses, notches in opposite sides of said recess midwayalong the length thereof, said notches each extending from the edge ofsaid opening downwardly toward said bottom side and becomingprogressively shallower toward said bottom side, a strike bar oatinglydisposed lin said recess and extending from one boss to the other andexposed at said opening, the length of said strike bar conforming to thelength of said recess, the diameter of said strike bar conforming to thewidth of said recess, a flat spring having a bow and two free ends witha pair of ears extending from the sides of said bow, said free endsengaging said strike bar and said bow extending toward said bottom sidewith said ears engaging the sides of said recess in register with saidnotches with said bow displaceable beyond the level of said bottom side,said spring being thus exposed at said bottom side for tensing directlyagainst a surface on which said bottom side is positioned when saidstrike bar is depressed as by a door latching bolt.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS LoebOct. 25, 1955 Art

